Bass Cleft, Treble Cleft
by BleedingHeartHeiress-v2.0
Summary: Tenten’s in trouble again and sentenced to a proper education at a school for the arts, while Neji has finally escaped his uncle’s demands and is pursuing his art. All hell breaks out…beautifully. NejiTen


**Title:** Bass Cleft, Treble Cleft  
**Genre:** General/Romance  
**Pairing(s):** Tenji, with hints of SasuSaku, NaruHina, and ShikaIno.  
**Rating:** T (may go up)  
**Summary:**Tenten's in trouble again and sentenced to a proper education at a school for the arts, while Neji has finally escaped his uncle's demands and is pursuing his art. All hell breaks out…beautifully. NejiTen  
**Dedication:** To Sky Sailer, because she's awesome like that.  
**Disclaimer:** I don't claim to own it. Until I get rich, then I will.  
**A/N:** Updates will come slowly and at my pace, as school is getting hectic.

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_"From Chicago  
To Toronto  
She's the one they call Old-What's-Her-Name  
She's a symbol...of resistance..."_  
-Green Day, 'She's a Rebel'

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"Tenten…what am I going to have to do to you?" The old judge, Sarutobi, rubbed his wrinkled brow in frustration, eyes looking tiredly at the brunette before him. "I'm starting to see you as much as I see my bailiff." Said bailiff nodded, shaking his head in disapproval. He, like the rest of the small town, couldn't understand Judge Sarutobi's sympathy for the worthless troublemaker.

"Can't have you getting lonely, you honor." The teenaged girl smirked. She had childish, rounded features accented by twin buns. Her clothing showed clearly that she was foreign, though her voice was barely accented anymore. Her eyes too were brown, and reflected a steely determination for survival. She was leanly built, most of her mass coming from muscle.

"Loneliness isn't the issue Tenten." Normally the two would be far more formal, in a different setting, but they lived in a small town where everyone was a neighbor. "I can only keep you out of jail so long. Theft, breaking and entering, assault, resisting arrest, assaulting an officer-"

"Hey, I left the officer be!" Tenten's fists came down on the table and the bailiff jumped in his chair and almost lost the salami from his sandwich with surprise. "I'm not a baka!" Her cheeks were flushed with indignation, her eyes boring into the judge's own. She would take responsibility for her handiwork, but she wasn't going down because of a twisted cop.

Sarutobi chuckled, but the well of mirth was steadily running dry. "Alright…" his voice became more serious, "Tenten, I can't do much for you after this. Tell me, where can I put you? What will straighten you out? You're a smart girl…you don't belong here." He gazed around the nearly-empty courtroom and shook his head. Such a girl as Tenten would be a credit to society, if she could only escape the trapped life that awaited the poor in this part of the world.

"Save it." The teen's voice was stiff now. What a cliché line…she was too smart to be here. She was too nice for this life. At the same time, she was too broke and too boyish for any other life. What did anyone expect from her? "You'll give me community service, and rental guardians will throw me out, and I'll be back in a couple weeks."

Sarutobi shuffled once more through his papers. Said 'rental guardians' (Tenten's term for foster parents) had indeed filed to be rid of her as of this morning. What in the name of the kamis could he do? Looking closer into the paperwork filled out by the arresting officer, he noticed where she'd broken in…the local music store. The proverbial light bulb turned on. "Alright Tenten, hear me out." The girl shifted, but didn't say anything. "Your community service will be tuition to the Konoha School for the Arts for one year. You will act as a proper student there, as well as assist the janitorial staff and anyone else who needs it. I'll find you an arrangement in the area, and you'll behave."

Tenten looked at him incredulously. "Some prep school in the city? You've got some new stuff in you pipe! Is it legal? Even I frown on illicit drugs your honor, nasty stuff that makes you all crazed and-"

The gavel fell. "Court adjourned. Have a pleasant trip Tenten."

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Alright, first chapter up! R&R! 


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